Six arrested for posing as BSNL staff to steal telecom cables in Ahmedabad

At least six members of an alleged cable theft gang were arrested in Ahmedabad after they were caught digging near a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) telephone exchange while pretending to be employees working on official telecom projects, police said.

The accused were apprehended near the Manekbag Telephone Exchange following a complaint by a senior BSNL official who grew suspicious after spotting excavation work late at night.

Police suspect the gang may also be linked to earlier BSNL cable theft cases reported on Ashram Road and possibly similar thefts in other cities.

According to police, Rameshbhai Zala, a divisional engineer posted at Vastrapur BSNL, noticed suspicious activity near the Manekbagh BSNL exchange while returning home to Vasna from his relatives’ residence in Ambawadi late on Friday night.

Zala reportedly saw individuals digging the area using a crane and a JCB machine. When questioned, the men allegedly claimed they were carrying out cable-related work under a BSNL contract.

However, the official allegedly discovered that the group was actually extracting copper cables from underground lines using heavy machinery.

He immediately alerted the police control room, following which the accused were detained from the spot.

The arrested persons were identified as Shailesh Rai, a resident of Lambha’s Indiranagar area, Virendra Nanda Yadav from Ahmedabad, Mohammad Rizabul Salim from Dwarka, Mohammad Sakir from Bihar, Sanjay Gautam from Delhi’s Mandawali area and Mohammad Alam Panne from Delhi.

Investigators said four of the accused had allegedly travelled from Delhi and used hired cranes and JCB machines while falsely presenting themselves as BSNL contractors to carry out the thefts.

Police believe the gang may have been involved in stealing telecom cables from multiple locations using the same modus operandi.

Ellisbridge Police Station has registered a case and launched further investigation.